The Northeast Fisheries Science Center's (NEFSC) Advanced Sampling Technologies Research
Group (ASTRG) provides fisheries-independent population estimates of commercially important pelagic fish
stocks in the Northwest Atlantic using state-of-the-art acoustic and optic sampling technologies. The goal
of the program is to improve the accuracy and precision of population estimates for management and
conservation of living marine resources.Fisheries acoustics data are collected
from more than 200 sea-days each year aboard the
NOAA Ship Pisces
and NOAA Ship Henry B Bigelow
during pelagic, bottom-trawl, and marine mammal surveys.Acoustic sampling
operations include continuous measurements using hull-mounted transducers and
multi-frequency scientific echosounders. Biological sampling with midwater and bottom trawls, and
underwater video deployments is conducted to verify species-specific backscatter and characterize
sea-floor habitat.In-situ and laboratory experiments aid in understanding
species-specific acoustic measurements.We are continuously developing,
testing, and evaluating advanced sampling technologies during laboratory and field experiments to improve
abundance estimates and map spatial and temporal distributions of fish and invertebrates.
Acoustic, optic, and biological data are audited and archived in the NEFSC
relational data management system.